| Abstract | Research conducted by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) within the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program (CNFWMP) includes the concept of the disposal of used nuclear fuel waste in
crystalline rock masses of the Canadian Shield. AECL has been investigating the benefits of utilizing remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies in conjunction with other sources of geotechnical data as part of this
concept assessment. The principal objective of recent work has been to examine remote sensing methods applied to disposal vault site selection and site characterization procedures. This paper summarizes methods for determining certain geologic
characteristics of a Canadian Shield terrain, incorporating remotely-sensed data, a digital elevation model (DEM), and ground-based data all within a GIS environment. This methodology is applied to the site characterization of a theoretical vault
location to define features of 'geological significance' and, to generate preliminary data for input towards the development of a hydrogeological model of the site. The study's objectives are not to determine the suitability or lack of suitability of
the site or to rank the interpreted features in terms of significance, but, to introduce some techniques that may assist in these processes. Data integration and visualization methods are also examined to assist decision makers and to aid in public
consultation processes. In this example, RADARSAT-1 S7 and F5 imagery, Landsat TM, and airborne geophysics have been integrated within a GIS to contribute towards the characterization of the Eye-Dashwa Pluton in Northwestern Ontario, Ground
truthed field data, geology, and a DEM were combined with photogeologic lineament interpretations to determine geotechnical characteristics of the Pluton and the surrounding environment. |